Early life

Wahlberg was born June 5, 1971 in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, the youngest of nine children,[2] with siblings Arthur, Jim, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, Debbie (died in 2003 at age 44), and Donnie. Wahlberg’s mother, Alma Elaine (née Donnelly), was a bank clerk and nurse’s aide, and Wahlberg’s father, Donald Edward Wahlberg, was a Teamster who worked as a delivery driver. His parents divorced in 1982.[3] His father was of half Swedish and half Irish ancestry, and his mother is of Irish, English, and French Canadian descent.[4] Maternally, Wahlberg is distantly related to author Nathaniel Hawthorne.[5] Wahlberg had a Roman Catholic[6][7] upbringing and attended Copley Square High School (but never graduated) on Newbury Street in Boston.

Assaults and conviction

Wahlberg had been in trouble 20–25 times with the Boston Police Department in his youth. By the age of thirteen, Wahlberg had developed an addiction to cocaine and other substances.[8][9] At fifteen, he harassed a group of black school children on a field trip by throwing rocks and shouting racial epithets.[10]
When he was sixteen, Wahlberg approached a middle-aged Vietnamese man
on the street and, using a large wooden stick, knocked him unconscious
(while calling him “Vietnam fucking shit”). He also attacked another
Vietnamese man, leaving him permanently blind in one eye.[11][12]

For these crimes, Wahlberg was charged with attempted murder, pled guilty to assault, and was sentenced to two years in state prison at Boston’s Deer Island House of Correction, of which he served 45 days.[11][13] In another incident, the 21-year-old Wahlberg fractured the jaw of a neighbor in an unprovoked attack.[14]
Commenting in 2006 on his past crimes, Wahlberg has stated: “I did a
lot of things that I regret, and I have certainly paid for my mistakes.”
He said the right thing to do would be to try to find the blinded man
and make amends, and admitted he has not done so, but added that he was
no longer burdened by guilt: “You have to go and ask for forgiveness and
it wasn’t until I really started doing good and doing right by other
people, as well as myself, that I really started to feel that guilt go
away. So I don’t have a problem going to sleep at night. I feel good
when I wake up in the morning.”[15]

After landing in prison following this assault, he decided to change
his ways. According to Wahlberg, “As soon as I began that life of crime,
there was always a voice in my head telling me I was going to end up in
jail. Three of my brothers had done time. My sister went to prison so
many times I lost count. Finally I was there, locked up with the kind of
guys I’d always wanted to be like. Now I’d earned my stripes and I was
just like them, and I realized it wasn’t what I wanted at all. I’d ended
up in the worst place I could possibly imagine and I never wanted to go
back. First of all, I had to learn to stay on the straight and narrow.”
Wahlberg first relied on the guidance of his parish priest to turn his back on crime. He told his street gang
that he was leaving them and had “some serious fights” with them over
it. The actor commented in 2009: “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life
and I’ve done bad things, but I never blamed my upbringing for that. I
never behaved like a victim so that I would have a convenient reason for
victimizing others. Everything I did wrong was my own fault. I was
taught the difference between right and wrong at an early age. I take
full responsibility.”[16]

Wahlberg began recording as Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, earning a hit with “Good Vibrations” from the album Music for the People. The record was produced by brother Donnie and later hit No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, later becoming certified as a platinum single. The second single, “Wildside”, peaked at No. 5 on BillboardsHot Singles Sales chart and at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.[17]
It was certified as a gold single. Marky Mark opened for the New Kids
on the Block during their last tour. The second Marky Mark and the Funky
Bunch LP, You Gotta Believe,
was not as successful as the prior, yielding only a minor hit single in
the title track. Wahlberg later collaborated with the late reggae/ragga singer Prince Ital Joe on the album Life in the Streets. The project combined rap and ragga vocals with strong eurodance music (as in the singles Happy People, German No. 1 hit United, Life in the Streets, and Babylon) courtesy of Frank Peterson and Alex Christensen as producers.

Advertising career

Wahlberg first displayed his physique in the Good Vibrations music video and most prominently in a series of underwear ads for Calvin Klein shot by Herb Ritts, following it with Calvin Klein television advertisements.[19] Magazine and television promotions would sometimes feature Mark exclusively or accompanied by model Kate Moss. Annie Leibovitz also shot a famous session of Mark Wahlberg in underwear for Vanity Fair’s annual Hall of Fame issue.[20] He also made a workout video titled The Marky Mark Workout: Form… Focus… Fitness (ISBN 1-55510-910-1).

In 2012, he launched a line of sports nutrition supplements called “Marked”.[21]

Wahlberg starred in the American football drama, Invincible, based on the true story of bartender Vince Papale. He is also the executive producer of the HBO series Entourage which is loosely based on his experiences in Hollywood. He also appeared as a foul-mouthed Massachusetts State Police detective in Martin Scorsese‘s critically acclaimed thriller, The Departed in 2006, which netted him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and an NSFC Best Supporting Actor award. Wahlberg has confirmed that he was approached to star in a sequel to The Departed, but it is still early in development. The sequel would reportedly revolve around the Staff Sergeant played by Wahlberg.[24]

He starred in M. Night Shyamalan‘s The Happening as Eliot Moore, which premiered in movie theatres on June 13, 2008. The same year, he played the title role in Max Payne, based on a video game of the same name. While promoting Max Payne, Mark became involved in a playful feud with Saturday Night Live‘s Andy Samberg and threatened to “crack that big fucking nose of his”. Samberg had done an impression of Wahlberg in a Saturday Night Live skit titled “Mark Wahlberg Talks To Animals”.[29][30]
However, Wahlberg later appeared in a follow-up skit parodying both the
original skit, Samberg’s impression of Wahlberg, and his own threats to
Samberg.[31][32]

Personal life

Family and relationships

In the early 1990s, Wahlberg dated former child actress Soleil Moon Frye.[33] Wahlberg and model Rhea Durham
have been together since 2001 and were married on August 1, 2009 at the
Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills. The couple have four
children, Ella Rae (born September 2, 2003), Michael Robert (born March
21, 2006), Brendan Joseph (born September 16, 2008) and Grace Margaret
(born January 11, 2010). In a 2011 interview with USA Weekend, Wahlberg stated that he had taken his children to visit his old Dorchester neighborhood, saying “I want them to know that not everyone is as fortunate and how important it is to work hard and give back.”[34]

His father, a US Army veteran of the Korean War, died on February 14, 2008.[35]

Religion

Wahlberg is a committed Roman Catholic,[36]
who attends daily Mass, credits his faith and a priest from his
childhood for helping him turn his life around, and recognizes the
seriousness of his faith.[7]

Charity work

Actively involved in charity, Wahlberg established the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation in May 2001 for the purpose of raising and distributing funds to youth service and enrichment programs.[37]

Wahlberg is also active with The Good Shepherd Center for Homeless
Women and Children. In an interview, Mark said that it’s important to
let the homeless know that people care about them and are working to
help the impoverished get back on their feet.[38]

Tattoos

Wahlberg has four tattoos done by various artists including Paul Timman.[40] The tattoos include Sylvester the cat with Tweety Bird in his mouth on his ankle, a design of his initials “MW” with his surname “Wahlberg” on his upper right arm, and a Bob Marley tattoo with “One Love” on his upper left arm.[41] The final tattoo, which Wahlberg holds as his most meaningful, is the rosary tattooed around his neck, with a crucifix and the words “In God I Trust” resting over his heart.[41] On January 9, 2012 Wahlberg was a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman.
He spoke about his tattoos and stated he is in the process of having
them removed. Initially he was told it would take 8–10 laser treatments,
however he required over 30 treatments and is still in the process of
getting them removed. He cited his career and children as the reason for
the removal of the tattoos. His first tattoo was as a young teenager
and it was of a shamrock. As it was not professionally done, he said the
shamrock was not straight and had the Tweety Bird tattoo placed over it
after arriving in Los Angeles.

Who is Christopher Julius Rock III? [6] The entertainment and acting world know him as Chris Rock, he is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer, and director.

After working as a standup comic and appearing in small film roles, Rock came to wider prominence as a cast member of Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s. He went on to more prominent film roles, and a series of acclaimed comedy specials for HBO.

He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central.[9] He was also voted in the UK as the 9th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007, and again in the updated 2010 list as the 8th greatest stand-up comic.

Early life

Rock was born February 7, 1965 in Andrews, South Carolina. Shortly after his birth, his parents moved to Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. A few years later, they relocated and settled in the working-class area of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.[6]
His mother, Rosalie (née Tingman), was a teacher and social worker for
the mentally handicapped; his father, Julius Rock, was a former truck
driver and newspaper deliveryman.[10] Julius died in 1988 after ulcer surgery.[11] His younger brothers Tony, Kenny[12] and Jordan[13] are also in the entertainment business. His older half-brother, Charles, died in 2006 after a long struggle with alcoholism.[14][15] Rock has said that he was influenced by the performing style of his paternal grandfather, Allen Rock, a preacher.[6][16]

Standup success

A frustrated Rock left Saturday Night Live in 1993, appearing instead as a “special guest” star on the predominantly African American sketch show In Living Color. The show, however, was canceled months later. Rock then decided to concentrate on a film career. He wrote and starred in the mockumentaryCB4 but the film was not a success. Acting jobs became scarce, and Rock abandoned Hollywood to concentrate on stand-up comedy.[16]

Rock starred in his first HBO comedy special in 1994 titled Big Ass Jokes. But it was his second stand-up special, 1996’s Bring the Pain, that reinvented Rock as one of the best comedians in the industry.[20][21] For it Rock won two Emmy Awards and gained large critical acclaim.[22] The segment on race in America, in which Rock used the “N word” extensively was most talked about.[22] Adding to his popularity was his much-publicized role as a commentator for Comedy Central‘s Politically Incorrect during the 1996 Presidential elections[20] which earned him another Emmy nomination.[23] Rock also was the voice for the “Lil Penny” puppet who was the alter ego to basketball star Penny Hardaway in a series of Nike shoe commercials from 1994–1998,[20] and hosted the ’97 MTV Video Music Awards.

Rock later had two more HBO comedy specials: Bigger & Blacker in 1999, and Never Scared in 2004. Articles relating to both specials called Rock “the funniest man in America” in Time[24] and Entertainment Weekly.[2] HBO also aired his talk show, The Chris Rock Show,
which gained critical acclaim for Rock’s interviews with celebrities
and politicians. The show won an Emmy for writing. His television work
has won him a total of three Emmy Awards and 15 nominations.[23] By the end of the decade, Rock was established as one of the preeminent stand-up comedians and comic minds of his generation.

During this time, Rock also translated his comedy into print form in the book Rock This! and released the Grammy Award-winning comedy albums, Roll with the New, Bigger & Blacker and Never Scared.

Rock’s fifth HBO special, Kill the Messenger, premiered on September 27, 2008, and won him another Emmy for outstanding writing for a variety or music program.[25]

Academy Awards

In early 2005, Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards
ceremony. The decision to have Rock host the awards was seen by some as
a chance to bring an “edge” to the ceremony, and to make it more
relevant or appealing to younger audiences. Jokingly, Rock opened by
saying “Welcome to the 77th and LAST Academy Awards!” During one segment Rock asked, “Who is this guy?” in reference to actor Jude Law seemingly appearing in every movie Rock had seen that year and implied Law was a low-rent Tom Cruise (he made a joke about filmmakers rushing production when unable to get the actors they want: “If you want Tom Cruise and all you can get is Jude Law, wait [to make the film]!”). Subsequently, a defensive Sean Penn
took the stage to present and said, “In answer to our host’s question,
Jude Law is one of our finest young actors.” (At the time, Penn and Law
were shooting All the King’s Men.)
Law was not the only actor that Rock poked fun at that evening,
however—he turned the joke on himself at one point, saying, “If you wantDenzel
[Washington] and all you can get is me, wait!” Older Oscar officials
were reportedly displeased with Rock’s performance, which did not
elevate ratings for the ceremony.[29]
Rock was also criticized for referring to the Oscars as “idiotic”, and
asserting that heterosexual men do not watch them, in an interview prior
to Oscar night.[30][31]

Music videos

Rock’s first music video was for his song “Your Mother’s Got a Big Head” from his album Born Suspect. Rock also made videos for his songs “Champagne” from Roll With the New and “No Sex (In the Champagne Room)” from Bigger & Blacker. Chris Rock also directed and appeared in the music video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers song “Hump de Bump“.

Rock appeared in the Big Daddy Kane music video “Smooth Operator” as a guy getting his hair cut.

Stage plays

Comedic style and views

Rock’s subject matter typically involves family, politics, romance, music, class relationships, and race relations
in the United States. Though not strictly autobiographical, much of his
comic standpoint seem rooted in his teenage experience; his strict
parents, concerned about the inadequacies of the local school system,
arranged to have the adolescent Rock bused to a nearly all-white high school in Bensonhurst (an Italian-ethnic neighborhood of Brooklyn known at the time for poor race relations). In his memoir Rock This,
the comedian recalls, “My parents assumed I’d get a better education in
a better neighborhood. What I actually got was a worse education in a
worse neighborhood. And a whole bunch of ass-whippings.”[33]

The comedian has also expressed discomfort with the notion that
success in standup comedy—or, indeed, in any aspect of the entertainment
industry—should oblige him to serve as a role model. In this position, he finds himself directly at odds with one of his comic idols, Bill Cosby. Cosby has reprimanded Rock both explicitly—for his famous/notorious Niggas vs. Black People track—and implicitly, for heavy use of the word “nigger.”[34] Rock has not wavered from a position explored in his 1996 Roll With The New
show, and reiterated in his 1997 memoir: “Why does the public expect
entertainers to behave better than everybody else? It’s ridiculous…Of
course, this is just for black entertainers. You don’t see anyone
telling Jerry Seinfeld
he’s a good role model. Because everyone expects whites to behave
themselves…Nowadays, you’ve got to be an entertainer and a leader.
It’s too much.”[35] Often the subject of tabloids, when asked about paparazzi and the other negative aspects of fame,
Rock says he accepts the bad with the good: “You can’t be happy that
fire cooks your food and be mad it burns your fingertips.”[36]

At the London Live Earth concert on July 7, 2007, which was broadcast live on the BBC, before introducing the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rock called the crowd “motherfuckers”
and “shit” after a brief sigh when he said he was joking. Due to the
broadcast being at 5:45 pm Rock was immediately cut off, and the BBC
made several apologies for his use of the word “motherfucker”.[37]

Chris Rock has been an avid fan of the New York Mets
baseball team since childhood. He famously complained that his team
“had no money” in a comedic rant during a 2011 interview with David
Letterman.[38]

Personal life

Rock has been married to Malaak Compton-Rock since November 23, 1996.[39] She is the founder and executive director of StyleWorks, a non-profit, full-service salon that provides free services for women leaving welfare and entering the workforce.[39] They have two daughters together, Lola Simone (born June 28, 2002) and Zahra Savannah (born May 22, 2004).[40]

In November 2006, the entertainment news website TMZ.com reported that Rock was filing for divorce after nearly ten years of marriage to Malaak.[41]
Two weeks later, however, TMZ reported that Rock had not filed divorce
papers, and that it appeared that the couple had been able to work out
their differences and stay together.[42] In response to the reports, the Rocks released a statement to the press denouncing them as “untrue rumors and lies”.[39]

In 2007, freelance journalist and former actress Kali Bowyer filed a paternity suit against Chris Rock, claiming he was the father of her son, and in need of hospitalization.[43] DNA testing proved that Rock was not the child’s father. Rock resides in Alpine, New Jersey.[45]

In 2008, Rock’s family history was profiled on the PBS series African American Lives 2. A DNA test showed that he is descended from the Udeme people of northern Cameroon.[46] Rock’s great-great-grandfather, Julius Caesar Tingman, was a slave for 21 years before serving as part of the United States Colored Troops until 1866; Tingman fought in the American Civil War.
During the 1940s, Rock’s paternal grandfather moved from South Carolina
to New York City to become a taxicab driver and preacher.[47]

Pacquiao was born on December 17, 1978, in Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines. He is the son of Rosalio Pacquiao and Dionesia Dapidran-Pacquiao.[11] His parents separated when he was in sixth grade, after his mother discovered that his father was living with another woman.[11] He is the fourth among six siblings: Liza Silvestre-Onding and Domingo Silvestre (from first husband of his mother) and Isidra Pacquiao-Paglinawan, Alberto “Bobby” Pacquiao and Rogelio Pacquiao.

Pacquiao completed his elementary education at Saavedra Saway Elementary School in General Santos City, but dropped out of high school due to extreme poverty.[16] He left his home at age 14 because his mother, who had six children, was not making enough money to support her family.[16]
In February 2007 he took, and passed, a high school equivalency exam making him eligible for college education.[17] He was awarded with a high school diploma by the Department of Education. Pacquiao enrolled for a college degree in business management at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University (NDDU) in his hometown in General Santos City.
On February 18, 2009, Pacquiao was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) by Southwestern University (SWU) at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Lahug, Cebu City in recognition of his boxing achievements and humanitarian work.[18]
In preparation for his career as a lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Pacquiao enrolled in the Certificate Course in Development, Legislation, and Governance at the Development Academy of the Philippines – Graduate School of Public and Development Management (DAP-GSPDM).[19]

Amateur boxing career

At the age of 14, Pacquiao moved to Manila and lived, for a time, on the streets. He started boxing and made the Philippine national amateur boxing team where his room and board were paid for by the government. Pacquiao reportedly had an amateur record of 64 fights (60–4).[20]

Professional boxing career

Early years at Light Flyweight division

In 1995, the death of a young aspiring boxer and close friend Eugene Barutag spurred the young Pacquiao to pursue a professional boxing career.[21] Pacquiao started his professional boxing career when he was just 16 years of age, stood at 4’11”, and weighed 98 pounds (7 pounds under the minimumweight division). He admitted before American media that he put weights in his pockets to make the 105 pound weight limit.[22] His early light flyweight division fights took place in small local venues and were shown on Vintage Sports‘ Blow by Blow, an evening boxing show. His professional debut was a four round bout against Edmund “Enting” Ignacio, on January 22, 1995, which Pacquiao won via decision, becoming an instant star of the program.
Pacquiao’s weight increased from 106 to 113 pounds before losing in his 12th bout against Rustico Torrecampo via a third round knockout. Pacquiao failed to make the required weight, so he was forced to use heavier gloves than Torrecampo, thereby putting him at a disadvantage.[23]

Flyweight division

Following the Torrecampo fight, Pacquiao continued undefeated for his next 15 fights. He went on another unbeaten run that saw him take on the vastly more experienced Chokchai Chockvivat in flyweight division. Pacquiao knocked out Chockvivat in the fifth round and took the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) Flyweight title.[24] After one official defense and two non-title bouts, Pacquiao got his first opportunity to fight for a world title. Pacquiao captured the World Boxing Council (WBC) Flyweight World Title (his first major boxing world title as well as the flyweight lineal title) over Chatchai Sasakul by way of knockout in the eighth round. He defended the title successfully against Mexican Gabriel Mira via 4th round technical knockout. However, Pacquiao lost the title in his second defense against Medgoen Singsurat, also known as Medgoen 3K Battery, via a third round knockout. The bout was held in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Singsurat got Pacquiao on the ropes and landed a flush straight right to the body coiling Pacquiao over and keeping him there. Technically, Pacquiao lost the belt at the scales, as he surpassed the weight limit of 112 pounds.

On November 15, 2003, Pacquiao faced Marco Antonio Barrera at the Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, in a fight that many consider to have defined his career. Pacquiao, who was fighting at featherweight for the first time, brought his power with him and defeated Barrera via technical knockout in the eleventh round and won The RingFeatherweight World Title (as well as the lineal featherweight champion), making him the first Filipino and Asian to become a three-division world champion, a fighter who won world titles in three different weight divisions. He defended the title twice before relinquishing it in 2005.[25]
Six months after the fight, Pacquiao went on to challenge Juan Manuel Márquez, who at the time held both the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) Featherweight World Titles. The fight took place at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, on May 8, 2004, and after twelve rounds the bout was scored a draw, which proved to be a controversial decision that outraged both camps.[26]
In the first round, Márquez was caught cold, as he was knocked down three times by Pacquiao. However, Márquez showed great heart to recover from the early knockdowns, and went on to win the majority of rounds thereafter. This was largely due to Márquez’s counterpunch style, which he managed to effectively utilize against the aggressive style of Pacquiao. At the end of a very close fight, the final scores were 115–110 for Márquez, 115–110 for Pacquiao, and 113–113.[26] One of the judges (who scored the bout 113–113) later admitted to making an error on the scorecards, because he had scored the first round as “10–7” in favor of Pacquiao instead of the standard “10–6” for a three-knockdown round.[26] In fact, the fight should be scored as split decision in favor of Pacquiao. Consequently, both parties felt they had done enough to win the fight.

Super Featherweight division

On March 19, 2005, Pacquiao moved up in super featherweight or junior lightweight division of 130 pounds, in order to fight another Mexican legend and three-division world championÉrik Morales for vacant WBC International and IBA Super Featherweight Titles. The fight took place at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. In this fight, Pacquiao sustained a cut over his right eye from a headbutt in the fifth round. He lost the twelve round match by a unanimous decision from the judges. All three scorecards read 115–113 for Morales.[27]
On September 10, 2005, Manny Pacquiao fought Héctor Velázquez at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. He knocked Velázquez out in six rounds to capture the WBC Super Featherweight International Title, which he went on to defend five times. On the same day, his rival, Érik Morales, fought Zahir Raheem and lost via unanimous decision.
The much anticipated rematch between Pacquiao and Morales took place on January 21, 2006 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. During the fight, Morales escaped being knocked down twice, once in the second round by holding onto the ropes, and once in the sixth by falling on the referee. Pacquiao eventually knocked Morales out in the tenth, the first time Morales was knocked out in his boxing career.[28]
On July 2, 2006, Pacquiao defended his WBC Super Featherweight International Title against Óscar Larios, a two-time super bantamweight champion, who had moved up two weight divisions to fight Pacquiao. Pacquiao won the fight via unanimous decision, knocking down Larios two times in the 12-round bout at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines. The three judges scored the fight 117–110, 118–108, and 120–106 all for Pacquiao.[29]
On July 3, 2006, the day after winning the fight against Larios, the then Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo personally bestowed the Order of Lakandula with the rank of “Champion for Life” (Kampeon Habambuhay) and the plaque of appreciation to Pacquiao in a simple ceremony at the Rizal Hall of Malacañang Palace.[30]
Pacquiao and Morales fought a third time (with the series tied 1–1) on Nov. 18, 2006. Witnessed by a near record crowd of 18,276, the match saw Pacquiao defeat Morales via a third round knockout at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.[31] After the Pacquiao–Morales rubber match, Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s main promoter, announced that Manny had returned his signing bonus back to Golden Boy Promotions, signaling intentions to stay with Top Rank. This prompted Golden Boy Promotions to sue Pacquiao over breach of contract.[32]
After a failed promotional negotiation with Marco Antonio Barrera’s camp, Bob Arum chose Jorge Solís as Pacquiao’s next opponent among several fighters Arum offered as replacements. The bout was held in San Antonio, Texas, on April 14, 2007. In the sixth round, an accidental headbutt occurred, giving Pacquiao a cut under his left eyebrow. The fight ended in the eighth when Pacquiao knocked Solis down twice. Solis barely beat the count after the second knockdown, causing the referee to stop the fight and award Pacquiao a knockout win. The victory raised Pacquiao’s win–loss–draw record to 44–3–2 with 34 knockouts. This also marked the end of Solis’s undefeated streak.
On June 29, 2007, Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions announced that they agreed to settle their lawsuit, meaning the long-awaited rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera would occur despite Pacquiao being the top-ranked contender for the super featherweight title of Juan Manuel Márquez. On October 6, 2007, Pacquiao defeated Barrera in their rematch via an easy unanimous decision. In the 11th round, Pacquiao’s punch caused a deep cut below Barrera’s right eye. Barrera retaliated with an illegal punch on the break that dazed Pacquiao but also resulted in a point deduction for Barrera. Two judges scored the bout 118–109, whereas the third scored it 115–112.[33]
In The Ring Magazine, Pacquiao (45–3–2) remained at the top of the super featherweight division (130 pounds). He had been in the ratings for 108 weeks.[34][35] On November 13, 2007, he was honored by the World Boxing Council as Emeritus Champion during its 45th Annual World Convention held at the Manila Hotel.[36]
On November 20, 2007, José Nuñez, manager of WBO Super Featherweight champion Joan Guzmán, accused Pacquiao’s handler Bob Arum of evading a match between the two boxers to protect Pacquiao.[37] Guzmán went as far as to directly call out Pacquiao at the postfight press conference of the Pacquiao–Barrera rematch in front of a stunned crowd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center‘s media room in Las Vegas.[38]
The 240 member House of Representatives of the Philippines, on August 7, 2008, issued a Resolution, sponsored by South Cotabato Congresswoman Darlene Antonino-Custodio, which recognized Pacquiao as “a people’s champ” — “for his achievements and in appreciation of the honor and inspiration he has been bringing… to the Filipino people.” He received a plaque from Speaker Prospero Nograles.[39][40]
On March 15, 2008, in a rematch against Juan Manuel Márquez called “Unfinished Business”, Pacquiao won via split decision. The fight was held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. With the victory, Pacquiao won the WBCSuper Featherweight and The RingJunior Lightweight World Titles (as well as the lineal junior lightweight title), making him the first Filipino and Asian to become a four-division world champion, a fighter who won world titles in four different weight divisions. The fight was a close hard fought battle, during which both fighters received cuts.[41] Throughout the fight Márquez landed the most punches at a higher percentage; however, the decisive factor proved to be a third round knockdown, wherein Márquez was floored by a Pacquiao left hook.[41] At the end of the fight, the judges’ scores were 115–112 for Pacquiao, 115–112 for Márquez, and 114–113 for Pacquiao.[41]
In the post-fight news conference, Márquez’s camp called for an immediate rematch. In addition, Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy Promotions CEO, offered a $6 million guarantee to Pacquiao for a rematch.[42] However, Pacquiao ruled out a third clash with Márquez, saying, “I don’t think so. This business is over.”[41] The reason that Pacquiao did not want a rematch was because he intended to move up to the lightweight division to challenge David Díaz, the reigning WBC Lightweight World Champion at that time.[41] Díaz won a majority decision over Ramón Montano that night as an undercard of the “Unfinished Business” fight.

Lightweight division

On June 28, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Pacquiao defeated David Díaz in lightweight division via ninth round knockout and won the WBC Lightweight World Title. With the victory, Pacquiao became the first and only Filipino and Asian to become a five-division world champion, a fighter who won world titles in five different weight divisions,[43] and also became the first Filipino fighter to ever win a world title at lightweight.[44] During the fight, which Pacquiao dominated, Díaz was cut badly on his right eye in the fourth round.[45] After the bout, Díaz acknowledged Pacquiao’s superior hand speed, stating “It was his speed. It was all his speed. I could see the punches perfectly, but he was just too fast.”[46]Bob Arum reported that the fight had made 12.5 million dollars earning Díaz his best payday of 850,000 dollars, whilst Pacquiao earned at least 3 million dollars.[43] Official records revealed an attendance of 8,362 (out of a maximum capacity of 12,000).[47]
Holding both the WBC World Super Featherweight and World Lightweight titles following the win, Pacquiao decided to vacate his super featherweight title in July 2008.[48]

Welterweight division

On December 6, 2008, Pacquiao moved up to the welterweight division, in order to face the six-division world championOscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, in a fight called “The Dream Match“. Presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, the bout was scheduled as a twelve round, non-title fight contested at the 147 pound welterweight limit. Although Pacquiao went into the fight widely recognized as the leading pound-for-pound boxer in the world, some boxing pundits had speculated that 147 pounds could be too far above his natural weight against the larger De La Hoya.[49] However, due to rehydration after the weigh in, De la Hoya came into the fight actually weighing less than Pacquiao, and close to 20 pounds under his usual fighting weight. Pacquiao dominated the fight, and after eight rounds De La Hoya’s corner was forced to throw in the towel, awarding Pacquiao the win via technical knockout.[50]
Pacquiao was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards before the stoppage, with two judges scoring the fight at 80–71 and one scoring it at 79–72.[51] Moreover, Pacquiao landed 224 out of 585 punches, whilst De La Hoya landed only 83 out of 402 punches.[51] After the bout, trainer Freddie Roach stated “We knew we had him after the first round. He had no legs, he was hesitant and he was shot.”[52] The fight would be De La Hoya’s last, as he announced his retirement from boxing shortly after.[53]
Pacquiao received 15 to 30 million dollars (share of the pay-per-view), plus a guaranteed amount.[54] Tickets reportedly sold out just hours after they went on sale. Moreover, the total gate revenue for the fight was said to be nearly 17 million dollars, making it the second largest gate revenue in boxing history.[55]

Return to welterweight

Pacquiao vs. Cotto

On November 14, 2009, Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto via technical knockout in the twelfth round at the MGM Grand Las Vegas in a fight billed as “Firepower.”
Although the bout was sanctioned as a world title fight in the
welterweight division, where the weight limit is 147 pounds, Cotto
agreed to fight at a catchweight of 145 pounds.[66]

Pacquiao dominated the fight, knocking Cotto down in round three and
round four, before the referee stopped the fight at 0:55 of round
twelve.[67] With this victory, Pacquiao took the WBOWelterweight title, was awarded the WBO Super Championship title and became the first seven-division world champion, the first fighter in boxing history to win world titles in seven different weight divisions.[68] Pacquiao also won the first and special WBC Diamond Championship belt.[69]
This belt was created as an honorary championship exclusively to award
the winner of a historic fight between two high-profile boxers.[70] After the fight, promoter Bob Arum stated “Pacquiao is the greatest boxer I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen them all, including Ali, Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard.”[71]
Miguel Cotto said in a post fight interview: “Miguel Cotto comes to
boxing to fight the biggest names, and Manny is one of the best boxers
we have of all time.”

The fight generated 1.25 million buys and $70 million in domestic
pay-per-view revenue, making it the most watched boxing event of 2009.[72] Pacquiao earned around $22 million for his part in the fight, whilst Cotto earned around $12 million.[72] Pacquiao–Cotto also generated a live gate of $8,847,550 from an official crowd of 15,930.[72]

On November 20, 2009, in a simple rites at the Quirino Grandstand, President Macapagal-Arroyo conferred Pacquiao the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu (Grand Cross) with Gold distinction (Katangiang Ginto) which usually bestowed to foreign diplomats and heads of state. It was awarded to Pacquiao for winning his historical seventh weight division world title.[73]

Following the victory against Cotto, there was much public demand for a fight between the seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao (the number-one pound-for-pound boxer) and the five-division world championFloyd Mayweather, Jr.
(the number-two and former number-one pound-for-pound boxer). Pacquiao
reportedly agreed to fight Mayweather on March 13, 2010 for a split of
$50 million up front.[74]
And it was later agreed that the venue for the fight would be the MGM
Grand Las Vegas. However, the bout was put in jeopardy due to
disagreements about Olympic-style drug testing. The Mayweather camp
wanted random blood testing by the United States Anti-Doping Agency,[75]
whereas Pacquiao refused to have any blood testing within 30 days from
the fight, because he thought it would weaken him, but he was willing to
have blood taken from him before the 30-day window as well as
immediately after the fight.[76] Freddie Roach, on the other hand, commented that he would not allow blood to be taken from Pacquiao one week before the fight.[77][78] In an attempt to resolve their differences, the two camps went through a process of mediation
before a retired judge. After the mediation process Mayweather agreed
to a 14-day no blood testing window. However, Pacquiao refused and
instead only agreed to a 24-day no blood testing window.[79] Consequently, on January 7, 2010, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum declared that the fight was officially off.[80]

After negotiations for the Mayweather fight fell through, other
boxers were considered to replace Mayweather as Pacquiao’s next
opponent, including former Light Welterweight Champion Paul Malignaggi,[83] and WBA Light Middleweight title holder Yuri Foreman.[84] However, Pacquiao chose to fight former IBF Welterweight title holder Joshua Clottey instead.

Pacquiao vs. Clottey

On March 13, 2010, at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas,
Pacquiao defeated Clottey via unanimous decision to retain his WBO
Welterweight title. The judges scored the fight 120–108, 119–109 and
119–109, all in favor of Pacquiao.[85]
During the fight, Pacquiao threw a total of 1231 punches (a career
high), but landed just 246, as most were blocked by Clottey’s tight
defense. On the other hand, Clottey threw a total of 399 punches,
landing 108.[86]

The fight was rewarded with a paid crowd of 36,371 and a gate of $6,359,985, according to post-fight tax reports filed with Texas boxing regulators.[87] Counting complimentary tickets delivered to sponsors, media outlets and others, the Dallas fight attracted 41,843,[87] well short of the 50,994 that was previously announced,[88]
but still an epic number for boxing. In addition, the bout drew 700,000
pay-per-view buys and earned $35.3 million in domestic revenue.[89]

Manny Pacquiao was named as the Fighter of the Decade for years
2000–2009 by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). This
award was presented by legendary boxer Joe Frazier, who was also a recipient of the award himself back in 1978 for defeating Muhammad Ali. Aside from this prestigious recognition, he was also named as the Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year for 2009, having received the same honor in 2006 and 2008. The awards ceremony was held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City on June 4, 2010.[7]

After his victory over Clottey, Pacquiao was expected to return to
boxing in late 2010 with a possible matchup against Floyd Mayweather,
Jr.. It was later reported that Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard
Schaefer and Top Rank Chief Bob Arum
worked out a ‘”Super Fight” between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd
Mayweather, Jr.. However, complications arose when Mayweather requested
Pacquiao undergo random blood and urine testing up until the fight day.
Pacquiao responded that he would agree to undergo blood and urine
testing up until 14 days before the fight (as requested by Mayweather in
the first round of negotiations), stating that giving blood too close
to the fight day would weaken him. On May 13, 2010, Pacquiao’s promoter
Bob Arum announced that he had penciled in November 13, 2010 as the date
of Manny Pacquiao’s next fight, possibly against Mayweather. However,
the stumbling block over demands that Pacquiao submit to Olympic-level
random drug testing put the fight in jeopardy.[90]

On June 12, 2010, the President of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La
Hoya, stated during an interview with a Spanish network that the deal
for the fight was very close and the negotiation process has been very
difficult.[91]
On June 30, 2010, Arum announced that the management of both sides had
agreed to terms, that all points had been settled (including Pacquiao
agreeing to submit to both blood and urine testing) and only the
signature of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. was needed to seal the deal that
could have earned both fighters at least $40 million each. Mayweather
was then given a two-week deadline for the fight contract to be signed.[92] Arum also announced that Pacquiao accepted the terms of the random drug testing, blood and urine, leading up to the fight.[93]

On July 15, 2010, Bob Arum announced that Pacquiao’s camp would give
Mayweather until Friday midnight to sign the fight. The next day, the
Top Rank website embedded a countdown clock on their website with the
heading “Money” Time: Mayweather’s Decision.[94]
On July 17, 2010, Arum announced that there was no word from
Mayweather’s camp and the deal for a November 13, 2010 fight with
Mayweather was not reached.

On July 19, 2010, Leonard Ellerbe, one of Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s
closest advisers, denied that negotiations for a super fight between
Mayweather and Pacquiao had ever taken place. Ellerbe stated that Bob
Arum was not telling the truth.[95]
Bob Arum responded, questioning that if there was no negotiation, then
who imposed the gag order (referring to a gag order about the
negotiation allegedly imposed on both camps) and who could there be a
gag order from if there were no negotiations. He also criticized Oscar
De La Hoya and his Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer
for denying that negotiations took place, when De La Hoya himself had
previously stated that they were “very, very close in finalizing the
contracts.”[96] Arum revealed that HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg acted as the mediator between Mayweather’s handlers and those of Pacquiao’s from Top Rank Promotions.[97]
On July 26, 2010, Ross Greenburg said in a statement that he has been
negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2, 2010,
carefully trying to put the fight together and he did in fact act as a
go-between in negotiations with the two sides, but they were unable to
come to an agreement, contradicting what Arum and the Pacquiao camp had
said.[98][99] Floyd Mayweather, Jr., after the second negotiation had been officially declared off, told the Associated Press
that he had fought sixty days ago and that he was not interested in
rushing into anything and was not really thinking about boxing at the
moment.[100]
Almost a year later, on July 8, 2011, Manny Pacquiao’s top adviser
Michael Koncz confirmed that Pacquiao had in fact never agreed to
testing up until fight day, which contradicted what Bob Arum and the
Pacquiao camp had been saying for well over a year.[101]

Light Middleweight

Pacquiao vs. Margarito

On July 23, 2010, Bob Arum announced that Pacquiao would fight Antonio Margarito on November 13, 2010. The fight for the vacant WBC Light Middleweight title gave Pacquiao the chance to win a world title in his eighth weight class, the light middleweight, or super welterweight, division.[102]
A catchweight of 150 pounds was established for the fight, although the
weight limit for the light middleweight division is 154 pounds. During
the pre-fight, Pacquiao weighed in at a low 144.6 pounds, while
Margarito weighed in at the limit of 150 pounds. Pacquiao said he was
pleased with his weight because he loses too much speed when he gains
pounds. During the fight itself, Pacquiao weighed 148 lbs, 17 pounds
lighter than Margarito’s 165.[103]

Prior to the fight, Pacquiao’s team demanded to the Texas officials
to test Margarito for banned substances after a weight loss supplement,
reportedly Hydroxycut, was found in his locker. It was stated that the officials would undergo testing for both boxers after the fight.[104]
In the fight, Pacquiao defeated Margarito via unanimous decision, using
his superior handspeed and movement to win his 8th world title in as
many divisions. In the penultimate round, Pacquiao implored referee
Laurence Cole several times to stop the fight as Margarito had a swollen
face and a large cut beneath the right eye, but the referee let the
fight continue.[105] Margarito had to be taken directly to the hospital after the fight, where it was discovered his orbital bone had been fractured; he had to undergo surgery.[106]

On November 22, 2010, after winning world title in his eighth weight
division, Pacquiao was awarded with another Congressional Medal of
Distinction from his fellow congressmen led by House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte during the ceremony at the Philippine House of Representatives.[107]

Because Pacquiao had no plans to defend the WBC Light Middleweight
title that he won against Margarito, the WBC Board of Governors voted to
declare the title vacant.[108]

Second return to welterweight

Pacquiao vs. Mosley

On May 7, 2011, Pacquiao successfully defended his WBO Welterweight title against three-division world champion Shane Mosley via lopsided unanimous decision at the MGM Grand Arena. Rapper LL Cool J performed as Mosley first entered the arena, while vocalist Jimi Jamison of the rock band Survivor sang “Eye of the Tiger”
as Pacquiao approached the ring. Pacquiao knocked Mosley down in the
third round using a one-two capped with a left straight. Mosley was left
dazed by the knockdown but managed to stand up.[109] Mosley floored Pacquiao in the tenth round with a push, but referee Kenny Bayless
inexplicably ruled it a knockdown. None of the judges seemed to have
bought it judging from the scores. Replays showed that Pacquiao was
throwing a punch off balance, had his right foot stepped on by Mosley’s
left foot and went down with a little help from Mosley’s right hand.
Bayless apologized to Pacquiao after the fight for the mistake. Pacquiao
gained one-sided verdicts from all three judges – 119–108, 120–108 and
120–107.[110]
Pacquiao reported that the only thing preventing him from knocking out
Mosley was a cramp in his legs. Freddie Roach said that Pacquiao had
problems with cramping before but usually in training sessions and not
in the middle of bouts.[111]
After the fight, there was much controversy over Shane Mosley
reportedly telling Floyd Mayweather that he should have made Pacquiao
“take the test.”[112]

Bob Arum talked about having Pacquiao’s next bout at the MGM Grand on
November 5, 2011 or across town at the Thomas and Mack Center on
November 12, 2011. Arum listed Juan Manuel Marquez as the first choice and then mentioned Timothy Bradley and Zab Judah as other options.[113]

Pacquiao vs. Marquez III

Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum stated that a third meeting with Márquez
could happen in November 2011, providing Pacquiao defeated his next
opponent Shane Mosley on May 7.[114] On May 10, Márquez accepted an offer from Top Rank to fight Pacquiao for his WBO Welterweight title at a catchweight of 144 pounds.[115] On May 18, Márquez signed the deal to fight Pacquiao for the third time on November 12 at Las Vegas.

On November 12, Marquez lost to Pacquiao via majority decision by
garnering scores 114–114, 115–113 & 116–112 from scorecards of three
judges. Upon the results being announced, the crowd reaction was
largely negative with thousands continuing to boo[116] as Pacquiao spoke with Max Kellerman. Tim Smith of New York’s Daily News wrote that Márquez “was robbed of a decision by judges who were either blind or corrupt.”[117] However, ringside punch stats showed Pacquiao landing more strikes, 176 to 138, and landing more power punches, 117 to 100.[118] Michael Woods of ESPN stated that Marquez was not robbed noting the Compubox stats, all of which favored Pacquiao.[119]

Pacquiao vs. Bradley

On February 5, Bob Arum announced Timothy Bradley as Pacquiao’s next opponent on June 9 for his WBO Welterweight title, after another failed negotiation attempt with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on Cinco De Mayo.[120]
During the final press conference, WBO President Francisco “Paco”
Valcarcel awarded Pacquiao with WBO Diamond Ring in recognition of
Pacquiao as the WBO Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter of the Decade.[121]

Pacquiao lost the bout in a controversial split decision, scoring
115-113, 113-115 and 113-115 from the three judges. The decision was
booed by the crowd and criticized by many news outlets
who were independently scoring the fight. However, Pacquiao was
gracious in defeat and Bradley called for a rematch. Following the
decision, many analysts called the decision a corruption of the sport.
ESPN.com scored the fight 119-109 for Pacquiao. HBO’s unofficial judge, Harold Lederman, also had it 119-109 for Pacquiao. Most ringside media also scored the fight in favor of Pacquiao.[122]

Valcarcel said in a statement on Wednesday, June 13, 2012, that the
WBO’s Championship Committee will review the video of the fight with
five independent, competent and recognized international judges and make
a recommendation. He said that the WBO does not doubt the ability of
the scoring judges.[123]
On June 21, 2012, the five WBO’s Championship Committee judges on the
review panel announced that Pacquiao should have won his controversial
defeat, with all scoring the fight unanimously in Pacquiao’s favor —
117-111, 117-111, 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113. However, the WBO cannot
overturn the result of the fight (only the NSAC would be able to do so), but recommended a rematch between the fighters.[124]

Professional boxing record

Light Middleweight division

On July 23, 2010, Bob Arum announced that Pacquiao would fight Antonio Margarito on November 13, 2010. The fight for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Title gave Pacquiao the chance to win a world title in his eighth weight class, the light middleweight or super welterweight division.[96] A catchweight of 150 pounds was established for the fight although the weight limit for the light middleweight division is 154 pounds. During the pre-fight, Pacquiao weighed in at a low 144.6 pounds, while Margarito weighed in at the limit of 150 pounds. Pacquiao said he was pleased with his weight because he loses too much speed when he gains pounds. During the fight itself, Pacquiao weighed 148 lbs, 17 pounds lighter than Margarito’s 165.[97]
Prior to the fight, Pacquiao’s team demanded to the Texas officials to test Margarito for banned substances after a weight loss supplement, reportedly Hydroxycut, was found in his locker. It was stated that the officials would undergo testing for both boxers after the fight.[98] In the fight, Pacquiao defeated Margarito via unanimous decision, using his superior handspeed and movement to win his 8th world title in as many divisions. In the penultimate round, Pacquiao implored referee Laurence Cole several times to stop the fight as Margarito had a swollen face and a large cut beneath the right eye, but the referee let the fight continue.[99] Margarito had to be taken directly to the hospital after the fight, where it was discovered his orbital bone had been fractured; he had to undergo surgery.[100]

Pacquiao started his acting career as an extra in some local films and guest appearances on ABS-CBN shows.
In December 2005 Pacquiao took his first lead role in Violett Films’ Lisensyadong Kamao (Licensed Fist).[102] The movie is titled so because (according to director Tony Bernal), being a Boxer, Pacquiao is licensed to use his hands.

In 2008, Pacquiao starred with Ara Mina and Valerie Concepcion in Anak ng Kumander (Son of Commander). The movie was not a commercial success and was panned by critics.[citation needed]
Pacquiao starred in the superhero/comedy film entitled Wapakman, which was released on December 25, 2009 as an entry to the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival.[103] Like his previous films Wapakman was not commercially successful.[104]
Upon the expiration of his contract with ABS-CBN, Pacquiao signed with GMA Network as an actor in September 2007. On December 17, 2007, he taped his first episode of the networks infotainment show Pinoy Records.[105] His other projects with the network included Totoy Bato and the sitcomShow Me Da Manny in which his mother, Dionesia, also appeared.
American actor Sylvester Stallone is reportedly in talks with Pacquiao over co-starring in one of Stallone’s future films, which is in the planning stages. The film would be Pacquiao’s Hollywood debut.[106]

On February 12, 2007, Pacquiao officially announced that he would be running for a seat in the House of Representatives in the May 2007 legislative election as a candidate of the Liberal Party, aiming to represent the 1st District of South Cotabato.[108] Pacquiao, who has been known to be supportive of the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said that he was persuaded to run by local officials of General Santos City, who hoped he would act as a bridge between their interests and the national government.[108] Pacquiao was defeated in the election by incumbent Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who said, “More than anything, I think, people weren’t prepared to lose him as their boxing icon”.[109]
In September 2008, Pacquiao was sworn in as member of Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI), a pro-administration political party.
On November 21, 2009, Pacquiao confirmed that he would run again for the congressional seat but this time in Sarangani province, the hometown of his wife Jinkee.[110] He originally planned to run for congress under his own party, the People’s Champ Movement, but has since joined the Nacionalista Party headed by Manny Villar. Villar said arrangements were made to accommodate Pacquiao’s People’s Champ Movement in a coalition with the Nacionalista Party for the May 2010 elections in Sarangani.[111]
On May 13, 2010, Pacquiao was officially proclaimed congressman of the lone district of Sarangani. He scored a landslide victory over a wealthy and politically well-entrenched clan of the province. His triumph ended the reign of Chiongbian clan that has been in power for more than thirty years. Pacquiao got 120,052 votes while his political rival, Roy Chiongbian, got 60,899 votes.[112]
On June 28, 2010, Pacquiao took his oath of office as congressman before Supreme CourtAssociate JusticeAntonio T. Carpio in the Provincial Capitol of Sarangani in Municipality of Alabel. He announced that he will transfer to President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III‘s Liberal Party from Nacionalista Party as he wants to ensure the entry of more projects to his province.[113]

Who is Ricky Dene Gervais? The entertainment and acting world knows him as Ricky Gervais, he is an English comedian, actor, director, producer, musician, writer and former radio presenter.
Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with Stephen Merchant. In addition to writing and directing the shows, Gervais played the lead roles of David Brent in The Office and Andy Millman in Extras. Gervais has also starred in Hollywood films, Ghost Town and The Invention of Lying. He has performed on four sell-out stand-up comedy tours, written the best-selling Flanimals book series and starred with Merchant and Karl Pilkington in the most downloaded podcast in the world as of March 2009,[2]The Ricky Gervais Show.
He has won seven BAFTA Awards, five British Comedy Awards, two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and the 2006 Rose d’Or, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. In 2007 he was voted the 11th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4‘s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups and again in the updated 2010 list as the 3rd greatest stand-up comic.[3] In 2010 he was named on the TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people.[4]
In 2010 Gervais became the first British person to host the Golden
Globe Awards in 14 years; he returned to host in 2011 and again in 2012.[5]

Early life

Gervais, along with siblings Larry (born 1945), Marsha (born 1948) and Bob (born 1950),[6] was born and brought up in Whitley, Berkshire on June 25, 1961. His father, Lawrence Raymond “Jerry” Gervais (1919–2002), a Franco-Ontarian, emigrated while on foreign duty during the Second World War from London, Ontario, Canada. Jerry Gervais met Eva Sophia House (1925–2000),[7][8] during a blackout,[9] and they settled in Whitley. She died, aged 74, in 2000, of lung cancer.[10]
During Xfm London’s The Ricky Gervais Show and in further newspaper interviews with The Independent,
Gervais noted that he believes his birth was unplanned due to the age
difference between his oldest sibling and himself. During one interview
with The Independent, Gervais tells the author that even his mother admitted his birth was unplanned.[11]
He has claimed that his father was “drunk when he filled in the birth
certificate”, leading to the unusual spelling of his middle name.[12]
Gervais has stated that his upbringing and childhood were stable and
trauma-free, with a high level of honesty and openness between his
family members. He claims that his family, “much like The Waltons“, made fun of each other regularly.[13]

and “Bitter Heart“. The singles failed to break the top 40, with “More to Lose” charting at No.117 and “Bitter Heart” peaking at No.70 on the UK Singles Chart.[18] Despite not being successful in the UK, Seona Dancing did manage to score a hit in the Philippines
with “More to Lose”. According to the 20 December 2003 broadcast of the
Ricky Gervais Show, Gervais later had a band called the Sacred Hearts,
which Ian Camfield described as Gervais’s “Bon Jovi phase”.[citation needed]

After the first series of The Office,
Gervais and Merchant returned to Xfm in November 2001 for a Saturday
radio show. The show ran intermittently until January 2004 with breaks
of 1–3 months between new shows. This was when the pair first worked
with Karl Pilkington, who produced the shows and later collaborated with them on their series of podcasts.

Podcast

On 5 December 2005 Guardian Unlimited
began offering free weekly podcasts featuring Gervais, Merchant, and
Pilkington. Throughout January and February 2006 the podcast was
consistently ranked the number-one podcast in the world; it appeared in
the 2007 Guinness World Record for the world’s most-downloaded podcast, having gained an average of 261,670 downloads per episode during its first month.[2]
On 20 February 2006, after the conclusion of the twelve-podcast series,
it was announced that all future episodes would be available from
Audible.com at a “nominal fee” (later, these had to be called audiobooks in accordance with iTunes policy). Two more series—-each with six podcasts—-were released between February and September 2006.

In late 2006 three more free podcasts were released. Together called
“The Podfather Trilogy”, they debuted individually at Halloween,
Thanksgiving and Christmas. These three were known by Ricky and Steve as
“The Fourth Season”. In October 2007 another free full-length podcast
was released through iTunes; this podcast was originally given out for
free during a performance of Gervais’s Fame tour in London. On 25
November 2007 Gervais, Merchant and Pilkington released another free
full-length podcast, which lasted just over an hour.
In August 2008 Gervais, Merchant and Pilkington recorded their fifth
season of audiobooks, totalling 4 chapters, which were released on 16
September 2008. These audiobooks were described as the ‘guide to…’
series, covering several topics. As of May 2011, there are 12 “Guides”
in total: Medicine, Natural History, Arts, Philosophy, The English,
Society, Law & Order, The Future, The Human Body, The Earth, The World Cup 2010 & Comic Relief. The conversations typically begin on topic, but constantly stray away from the topic at hand.

Television

Gervais on The Office

Gervais has contributed to the BAFTA-winning The Sketch Show (ITV), penning several sketches. His mainstream-TV debut came in September 1998 as part of Channel 4‘s “Comedy Lab” series of pilots. His one-off show Golden Years focused on a David Bowie–obsessed
character called Clive Meadows. Gervais then came to much wider
national attention with an obnoxious, cutting persona featured in a
topical slot that replaced Ali G‘s segments on the satirical Channel 4 comedy programme The 11 O’Clock Show in early 1999, in which his character used as many expletives
as was possible and produced an inordinate amount of politically
incorrect statements. Among the other regular featured comedians on the
show was Mackenzie Crook, later a co-star of The Office. Two years later, Gervais went on to present his own comedy chat show for Channel 4 called Meet Ricky Gervais; it was poorly received and has since been mocked by Gervais himself. The Independent newspaper has described Gervais as “obsessed by his own celebrity”, but adds, “Who wouldn’t want to be Peter Lawford in a comedy Rat Pack?” in reference to Ricky Gervais Meets…; the article, however, also describes him as “a very funny man” who “created one of the great sitcoms”.[22]The Guardian’s Chris Tryhorn explained the “few gripes” he had with Extras, “particularly in the second series”. “You can forgive Gervais a certain arrogance after the success of The Office, but…” He remarks on the confused tone of the series, taking in the clash between the broad comedy of characters Barry (Shaun Williamson) and Darren (Stephen Merchant), and the apparent parody of this style with When The Whistle Blows,
and “given their total indulgence of Gervais, the BBC is portrayed as
interfering, its comedy department run by a rather crudely stereotyped gay couple”.[23]

Throughout this time, Gervais also wrote for the BBC sketch show Bruiser and The Jim Tavare Show, and he had a cameo role in Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes‘s sitcom, Spaced, as Dave. Pegg later joked that Dave was a younger David Brent and that he and Hynes were the real minds behind The Office. Gervais also appeared in a few of Channel 4’s ‘Top 100…’ list programmes, and he voiced the character of Penguin in Robbie the Reindeer‘s Legend of the Lost Tribe. His voice was redubbed for the US market.
On 5 January 2006 he interviewed Larry David in a one-off special, Ricky Gervais Meets… Larry David. On 25 and 26 December of the same year Channel 4 aired similar specials in which he interviewed the actor/comedian Christopher Guest and comedian Garry Shandling. There are no plans for further episodes of Meets…, although editions with John Cleese and Matt Groening were recorded in 2006 for broadcast in 2007. A source claimed, “The Shandling experience put him off for good”.[24]

Gervais on The Simpsons

Gervais guest-starred in an episode of The Simpsons entitled “Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife“, which aired on 26 March 2006 in the United States, on 23 April 2006 on satellite station Sky One
in the United Kingdom (first appearing on terrestrial television in
2010), and on 18 July 2006 in Australia. He is the only British comic to
write and star in a Simpsons episode. The episode was the
highest rated in Sky One’s history, arguably because of its extensive
promotion, which revolved around the angle that Gervais was the
episode’s sole writer (and the first guest star on the show to also
receive a writing credit for the episode of his appearance). Gervais
clarified the extent of his input in a joint interview (with Christopher
Guest) for Dazed and Confused magazine (January 2006): “No, all I did was put down a load of observations on an email and they made it look like a Simpsons
script. I’m going to get the credit, but I think everyone in the
industry knows it was a joint effort”. Asked in a separate interview
about how his idea for the episode (in which Homer swaps Marge on a game
show) came about, Gervais replied:

Gervais, a longstanding Simpsons fan, presented a segment to mark the show’s 20th anniversary on BBC Two‘s The Culture Show on 16 June 2007. Gervais has also guest-starred on Alias (appearing in the third-season episode “Façade“) as Daniel Ryan, a former Royal Navy bomb-disposal specialist turned rogue Irish Republican Army bomb-maker. He has said about the appearance, “I did an episode of Alias, and I can’t watch it. Me being serious. I can’t watch it”.
Gervais made a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live in a Digital Short during which he claims that The Office was adapted from a Japanese programme of the same name (with Steve Carell
reprising his role as Michael Scott). The sketch re-creates scenes from
the American and British pilot episode with Japanese elements (although
in an exaggerated way). “It’s funny”, Gervais laughs at the end,
“because it’s racist”.
In January 2009, Gervais was interviewed by James Lipton for Season 15 of BravoTV’s Inside the Actors Studio.
In January 2010, he hosted the 67th Golden Globe Awards, making him the first master of ceremonies since 1995. He stated:

“I have resisted many other offers like this, but there are just some things you don’t turn down.”[26]

His performance as host received a mixed response with positive reviews from the New York Daily News and the Associated Press, but also some negative comments from industry bible, and The Hollywood Reporter.[27][28] He returned to host the show again in 2011 and 2012, and his performance was more warmly received by critics.

In August 1999, while on a BBC production course, Stephen Merchant
had to make his own short film. He chose to make a docu-soap parody,
set in an office. This sketch later formed the basis of the interview episode.[31] With help from Ash Atalla, Merchant passed this tape on to the BBC’s Head of Entertainment Paul Jackson at the Edinburgh Fringe, who then passed it on to Head of Comedy Jon Plowman, who eventually commissioned a full-pilot script from Merchant and Gervais.
The first six-episode series of The Office aired in the UK in July and August 2001 to little fanfare or attention.[32]
Word-of-mouth, repeats, and DVDs helped spread the word, building up
huge momentum and anticipation for the second series, also comprising
six episodes, in September 2002.[33] The second series topped the BBC Two ratings, and the show then switched to BBC One in December 2003 for its final two special episodes.The Office has since been remade for audiences in Sweden, France, Germany, Quebec, Brazil and the United States. Gervais and Merchant are producers of the American version, and they also co-wrote the episode “The Convict” for the show’s third season. The original UK version is currently airing on Adult Swim
on Fridays, and prior to the show’s airing, Gervais appears as himself
talking about the episode that will air. In one of those segments
Gervais claimed the episode “Training” to be his favourite.

The Ricky Gervais Show is an animated TV show that debuted on US cable network HBO on 19 February 2010.[37][38] In the UK, the first season began airing on 23 April 2010 on Channel 4. The show was developed using original podcast recordings from The Ricky Gervais Show starring Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Karl Pilkington. After receiving a loyal and enthusiastic following in the US, Cable channel HBO recommissioned the show for a second season, which aired in 2011,[39] and a third series which started airing in April 2012.
The original audio show was broadcast in November 2001 on radio station Xfm, and aired in weekly periods for months at a time throughout 2002, 2003, 2004 and mid-2005. In November 2005 Guardian Unlimited offered the show as a podcast series of 12 shows.[40]
Throughout January and February 2006 the podcast was consistently
ranked the number one podcast in the world; it appeared in the 2007 Guinness World Record for the world’s most downloaded podcast, having gained an average of 261,670 downloads per episode during its first month.[41][42] By September 2006, according to the BBC, the podcasts of the series had been downloaded “nearly 8 million” times.[43]

Gervais said that the series is about “kindness [being] more
important than anything else”. He added “It’s about the forgotten —
everyone’s forgotten. It’s all these arbitrary people who didn’t know
each other, and they’re in there now because they’re in the last years
of their life. And it’s about the people who help them, who themselves
are losers and have their own problems. It’s about a bunch of people
with nothing, but making the most of it, and they’re together.”[57]
Gervais said he wanted to “do normal people with normal problems again”
after exploring fame in his previous series and “get close to real
emotion”.[55] He chose to set the sitcom in a retirement home after he watched Secret Millionaire
– “It was always these people with huge problems who were helping other
people. I thought about having Derek help old people because no one
cares about old people in this country… I think it’s perfect for now.”[58]
The pilot caused controversy even before its broadcast as some
critics felt that Gervais was mocking disabled people. Gervais
responded: “I’ve never thought of him as disabled. He’s not that bright
but neither are Kev or Dougie. He’s cleverer than Baldrick and Father Dougal and he certainly hasn’t got as big a problem as Mr. Bean. When portraying someone with disabilities I usually get someone with that disability to play them.”[55] On 9 May 2012, Channel 4 announced that it had commissioned a full series of Derek to air in early 2013.[59]

Stand-up comedy

Gervais made some attempts at stand-up in the late 1990s, but his first successful show took place at the Cafe Royal, as part of the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Titled Rubbernecker, the show also featured Jimmy Carr, Robin Ince and Stephen Merchant.
Gervais later toured the UK in 2003 with his stand-up show Animals. The Politics
tour followed a year later. Both of these shows were recorded for
release on DVD and television broadcast. The third part of the themed
live trilogy, Fame, took place in 2007. It started in Glasgow in January and ended in Sheffield in April. Blackpool reported selling out of tickets within 45 minutes of them going on sale.[60] More dates were added.

Newsnight Review‘s panel saw Animals during its Bloomsbury run and covered it in January 2003. They were not favourable, with Private Eye editor Ian Hislop being the most explicit in his criticism.[61] After this, Gervais closed each show by calling Hislop an “ugly little pug-faced cunt”. Further coverage on Newsnight Review has been overwhelmingly favourable, with the panelists playing themselves in promos for the second series of Extras. Panel regulars Germaine Greer, Mark Kermode and Mark Lawson also appeared as themselves reviewing When The Whistle Blows
in a series episode. Critic Mark Lawson is a great admirer of Gervais
and Merchant, having interviewed them extensively for television, print Front Row, and the Edinburgh International Television Festival.Fame
was the subject of some controversy in January 2007 when Gervais told a
story, ostensibly about how people will do anything to become famous,
to a Scottish audience.[62]
The story referred to a question asked of Gervais five years earlier by
a reporter: what could someone do to become famous like you? To which
he replied, “Go out and kill a prostitute”. He followed up with the punch line, “I won’t do that bit in Ipswich”, referring to the December 2006 murders of five prostitutes in Ipswich.
The joke drew criticism from the father of victim Tania Nicol: “These
days, they want to make a joke out of anything. I feel he’s just being
uncaring, quite honestly”. Gervais defended himself: “I do want people
to know that that happened five years ago and is not related to anything
now. That is the problem with comedy, a joke that is funny today can be
a terrible faux pas tomorrow”.
Gervais’s fourth show was entitled Science, and commenced with an eleven date tour in August 2009 at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow.[63] The show opened to little critical praise.[64] Writing for The Independent, Julian Hall gave Science two stars out of five, stating that it was Gervais’s “most disappointing” offering yet.[65] The DVD for Science was released on 15 November 2010.[66] In November 2009 he headlined the sixth annual New York Comedy Festival at Carnegie Hall, New York.[67]
Gervais has begun writing his fifth stand-up routine, to be titled Humanity.[68]

Grand Theft Auto IV

Gervais is one of two featured comedians (the other being Katt Williams) in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV who performs at the Comedy Club and on the television in the game.

Gervais released a children’s book in 2004, Flanimals (illustrated by his Rob Steen), which depicted nonsense animals. After the success of this book, he released its sequel More Flanimals in 2005, with Flanimals of the Deep coming the next year. A new Flanimals book, Flanimals: The Day of the Bletchling, was released in October 2007. Flanimals: Pop Up was also published in 2009.[69]
There is a wide range of Flanimalsmerchandise available, including dolls and gift cards. A six-part Flanimals TV series has been commissioned by ITV,[70] although Gervais had previously claimed signing a Hollywood film deal[71] so that a franchise could be developed. “That way it stands a chance of being the next Dr. Seuss or Mr. Men“.[72]

Other books

The Office scripts have been released in book form, with Series 1 issued in 2002, and the remaining episodes following in 2003.
In late 2006 the Extras script book was released, as well as The World of Karl Pilkington presented by Gervais and Merchant. These were essentially transcripts of Xfm/podcast routines performed by the three.

On 2 July 2005 Gervais appeared at the Live 8 event held in London’s Hyde Park, where he performed his famous dance. He produced a series of short films for the cause, linked acts from the studio with Jonathan Ross, and also introduced the group R.E.M..
Gervais also has a role in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV, as himself, appearing in his role as a comedian in a comedy club, and as an interviewee on radio station We Know The Truth. For this, a special 3-minute act was written, recorded and fully motion-captured.[78]
Gervais has also hosted the 2010, 2011, and 2012 Golden Globe Awards.
His 2011 hosting of the awards was controversial for his edgy jokes
that were at the expense of many of the nominees, similar to the New
York Friars Club roast style jokes.[79]
His jibes were described as setting “a corrosive tone” by one critic,
though some celebrities were seen crying from laughter, leaving the
overall reaction to be ‘mixed’.[80][81]

Boxing

In 2002 Gervais took part in a charityboxing match against Grant Bovey — known to the public only due to his relationship with TV personality Anthea Turner. On his Saturday afternoon radio show on Xfm London
Gervais and partners Merchant and Pilkington had discussions on both
Gervais’s attitude towards boxing and training in general, as well as
his likelihood of victory against Bovey. Initially, Merchant had
questions as to why Gervais was participating in the event, due to his
dislike of slight pain and his inexperience with fitness in general.
Gervais was trained for the three-round contest by famous boxing trainer brothers Frank and Eugene Maloney, at their Fight Factory gymnasium. It was the second televised charity boxing match, the first being Bob Mortimer against Les Dennis, for Comic Relief. The fight was televised by the BBC, and Gervais came out on top by a split decision
verdict. Gervais later said that the experience was the ‘most difficult
thing’ he had ever done. He donated his £5,000 prize money to the
training of a Macmillan nurse.

On 7 July 2007 Gervais appeared at the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, London. Gervais introduced Rob Reiner appearing in the guise of spoof film director Marty Di Bergi, who in turn introduced Spinal Tap.
In July 2007, following Gervais’s appearance at the memorial concert for the Princess of Wales, The Guardian ran a column by Daily Mirror television critic Jim Shelley entitled “Call Me Crazy… But Has Ricky Gervais Lost It?”, where he described Gervais as a “tiresome embarrassment”.[82] The following week, The Guardian
noted that Gervais had responded with “an exhilaratingly foul-mouthed
tirade” on his website, concluding with the words, “Yes I am resting on
my fucking laurels you cunt!” In this video Gervais mocked Jim Shelley
typing the words “Resting on his laurels” as Gervais jokingly lashed out
by stating he was resting on his laurels and that he was not going to
make another show for television, quipping “What’s the point? What is
there to beat?”[83]
On 18 October 2011, Gervais attracted criticism for his repeated use
of the word “mong” (short for “mongoloid”), a historically derogatory
term for mentally disabled people, most commonly used against those with Downs syndrome.[84] Gervais claimed the word no longer represented this meaning.[85]
Although other comedians and support groups for the disabled pointed
out that verbal and physical abuse of the disabled was on the increase,[86] Gervais initially remained defiant over his use of the word.[87]
He later apologised, saying that he found it hard to believe that
“idiots” still used the word to refer to people with Down Syndrome.[88]

Gervais has received many awards for his work on The Office, most notably two Golden Globes (one for acting, one for the show itself), as well as numerous British Academy Television Awards and British Comedy Awards, amongst others.
Gervais received an honorary award at the annual Rose d’Or
ceremony in Switzerland on 29 April 2006. The award is given to “an
individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the global
entertainment business”.[99]
On 16 September 2007, Gervais won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role of Andy Millman on Extras.[100]

Who is Russell Edward Brand? The Comedy and entertainment world knows him as Russell Brand, he is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.
Brand’s childhood and early adulthood were marked with personal misfortune and addiction. After successfully exiting rehab, Brand achieved fame in the UK in 2003 for his Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother’s Big Mouth. Although he had previously acted in movies and television, his first major role was in the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall which led to a starring role in 2010’s Get Him to the Greek. He has also been a voice actor for animated films such as 2010’s Despicable Me and the 2011 film Hop. He starred in the 2011 remake of the 1981 Dudley Moore film Arthur.
Brand is noted for his eccentricity and his controversies in the British media, including his dismissal from MTV for dressing up as Osama Bin Laden and controversies while presenting at various award ceremonies. The 2008 prank telephone calls he made to Andrew Sachs while co-hosting The Russell Brand Show with Jonathan Ross led to his resignation from the BBC and major policy changes in that organisation. His prior drug use and promiscuity influenced his comedic material and public image. He married American pop singer Katy Perry in October 2010.[4]

Early life

Brand was born June 4, 1975, in Orsett Hospital, Grays, Essex, England, the only child of Barbara Elizabeth and photographer Ronald Henry Brand.[5] Brand’s parents separated when he was six months old, and he was raised by his mother; he has described his childhood as isolated and lonely.[6] When Brand was seven, he was sexually abused by a tutor.[7] When Brand was eight, his mother contracted uterine cancer; a year later she contracted breast cancer.[8] Brand stayed with relatives while his mother underwent treatment.[8] When Brand was 14, he suffered from bulimia nervosa. He left home at age 16 because of differences with his mother’s live-in partner.[8] His mother had lymphoma during this time and he began using recreational drugs such as cannabis, amphetamines, LSD and ecstasy[8][9] Brand said during an interview on National Public Radio‘s Weekend Edition Saturday that he had “a strange relationship with his father, whom he saw sporadically and who took him to visit prostitutes during a trip to the Far East”.[10] After Brand’s parents divorced, his father remarried twice.[11] Later, he also began using cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin.

Brand attended Grays School Media Arts College, a comprehensive. He made his theatrical debut at the age of 15, playing the role of Fat Sam in a school production of Bugsy Malone, which prompted him to become an actor. He began working as an extra, and applied to study at the Italia Conti Academy. He was accepted, and Essex council funded his tuition for an introductory year, with potential funding for three additional years. Brand joined the Academy in 1991, but was expelled during his introductory year for his bad behaviour and use of drugs. Afterward, Brand had small acting roles in children’s show Mud and police dramaThe Bill.
In 1995, Brand applied for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Drama Centre London and was accepted to Drama Centre. He was expelled in the final term of his last year for smashing a glass over his head and then stabbing himself in the chest and arms after his hearing a criticism of his performance. After leaving Drama Centre, Brand decided to focus on comedy, and began writing material with Karl Theobald. They formed a short-lived double act, Theobald and Brand on Ice.

Career

Stand-up

Brand’s first significant stand-up appearance was at the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year final in 2000. Although he finished fourth, his performance attracted the attention of an agent, Nigel Klarfeld of Gagged and Bound Comedy Ltd.[12] That year, he also made his Edinburgh debut as one-third of the stand-up show Pablo Diablo’s Cryptic Triptych, alongside ventriloquist Mark Felgate and Anglo-Iranian comic Shappi Khorsandi.
In 2004, he took his first one-man show, the confessional Better Now to the Edinburgh Festival, giving an honest account of his heroin addiction. He returned the following year with Eroticised Humour. He launched his first nationwide tour, Shame, in 2006. Brand drew on embarrassing incidents in his own life and the tabloid press’s treatment of him since he became famous. The show was released on DVD as Russell Brand: Live.

Secret Policeman’s Ball

Brand appeared in a sketch and performed stand-up at the 2006 Secret Policeman’s Ball. In March 2007, he co-hosted an evening of the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs with Noel Fielding. In December 2007, Brand performed for HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip as an act in the 2007 Royal Variety Performance.
His second nationwide tour, in 2007, was called Russell Brand: Only Joking and released on DVD as Russell Brand: Doin’ Life.
Brand began performing in the US, and recorded a special for Comedy Central titled Russell Brand in New York, which aired in March 2009.[13] Brand began touring the UK, America and Australia from January to April 2009 on a tour called Russell Brand: Scandalous.[14] In October, a further four dates that were performed in November were added to raise money for Focus 12, the drug charity for which Brand is a patron.[15]Russell Brand: Scandalous was released on DVD on 9 November 2009.

Presenting

Brand’s first presenting role came in 2000 as a video journalist on the MTV. He presented Dancefloor Chart, touring nightclubs in Britain and Ibiza, and hosted the tea-time request show Select. However, Brand was fired after coming to work dressed as Osama bin Laden the day after the 11 September 2001 attacks and bringing his drug dealer to the MTV studios.[16]
After leaving MTV, Brand starred in RE:Brand, a British documentary and comedy television programme that aimed to take a challenging look at cultural taboos. It was conceived, written, and hosted by Brand, with the help of his comic partner on many projects, Matt Morgan. The series was shown on the now-defunct digital satellite channel UK Play in 2002.
In 2004, he hosted Big Brother’s Eforum on E4, a sister show to Big Brother 5. The show gave celebrity guests and the public the chance to have their say on the goings-on inside the Big Brother house. For Big Brother 6, the show’s name changed to Big Brother’s Big Mouth. Following Celebrity Big Brother 5, Brand said he would not return to host the Big Brother 8 series of Big Brother’s Big Mouth. In a statement, Brand thanked all the producers for “taking the risk of employing an ex-junkie twerp” to front the show. Of his time presenting the show, he said, “The three years I’ve spent on Big Brother’s Big Mouth have been an unprecedented joy”.[17]
Brand hosted a one-off special called Big Brother According to Russell Brand, in which Brand took a surreal, sideways look at Big Brother through the ages. On 8 January 2008, Brand was the fifth celebrity to “hijack” the Big Brother house,[18] in the E4 show Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack. Brand next returned to MTV in the spring of 2006 as presenter of the chat show 1 Leicester Square, which initially aired at 8 pm on Sundays before being shifted to a post-watershed time of 10 pm on Mondays, allowing for a more adult-oriented theme. Guests have included Tom Cruise, Uma Thurman, The Mighty Boosh, and Boy George. A second series began in September 2006 on MTV UK. After Big Brother 7 finished, Brand presented a debate show called Russell Brand’s Got Issues, on digital channel E4. The viewing figures for the first episode were seen as disappointing, being beaten by nearly all of E4’s main multi-channel rivals despite a big publicity and promotional campaign for the show. The poor ratings prompted the network to repackage the show as The Russell Brand Show and move it to Channel 4.[19] The first episode was broadcast on 24 November on Channel 4,[20] and it ran for five weeks.
Brand presented the 2006 NME Awards. At the ceremony Bob Geldof, who was accepting an award from Brand, said at the podium, “Russell Brand – what a cunt“, to which Brand replied, “Really it’s no surprise [Geldof]’s such an expert on famine. He has after all been dining out on ‘I Don’t Like Mondays‘ for 30 years”.[21] Brand hosted the 2007 BRIT Awards and presented Oasis with an “Outstanding Contribution to Music” award at the event.[22] He also hosted one hour of Comic Relief. On 7 July 2007, he presented at the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, London.
On 12 December 2007, BBC Four aired Russell Brand On the Road, a documentary presented by Brand and Matt Morgan about the writer Jack Kerouac and his novel On the Road. Brand returned to Channel 4 to host Russell Brand’s Ponderland, in which he discussed topics like childhood and science through stand-up comedy. The show first aired on 22 October 2007, and continued for the next five nights. A second series began on 30 October 2008, drawing more than a million viewers, and was broadcast every Thursday night for four weeks, plus a Christmas special that aired in December.

2008 MTV Awards

Brand was later announced as the host of the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, which drew scepticism from the American media, as he was relatively unknown to the American public. Brand’s stint as host of the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards was not without controversy.[23] At one point, he said the night “marked the launch of a very new Britney Spears era”, referring to it as “the resurrection of [Spears]”. He also said, “If there was a female Christ, it’s Britney”.[24] Brand implored the audience to elect Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and later called then–U.S. President George W. Bush “a retarded cowboy fella”, who, in England, “wouldn’t be trusted with scissors”.[24][25] He made several references to the purity rings worn by the Jonas Brothers, but apologised for the comments later in the show.[26] These comments led to Brand receiving death threats by some offended viewers.[27] Brand claimed that MTV asked him to host the 2009 awards after the ratings for the 2008 show were 20% up from the previous year.[28]. Also in 2008 Brand hosted a one off stand up comedy show called Comedy Live Presents: Russell Brand and Friends shown on Channel 4 on 25 January 2008. Brand hosted the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on 13 September 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.[29][30] The ratings for the 2009 show were the best since the 2004 VMAs.[31] In 2011, Brand guest hosted an episode of the hit American sketch comedySaturday Night Live.

His breakthrough role was in the 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, in which he played Aldous Snow, the boyfriend of the title character (played by Kristen Bell). Brand received rave reviews for his performance as Snow, and he revealed the character was changed from an author to a rockstar because of his audition.[34]
Brand starred alongside Adam Sandler in the Disney film Bedtime Stories, which was released on Christmas Day 2008.[35]

Brand’s radio career began in early 2002, when he hosted a Sunday afternoon show with Matt Morgan on London’s Indie Rock station Xfm. Brand was fired from the job after reading pornographic material live on-air.[48]Brand co-hosted The Russell Brand Show beginning in April 2006 on BBC 6Music. In November 2006, the show transferred to BBC Radio 2 and aired on Saturdays from 9 – 11pm. The show regularly drew about 400,000 listeners.[49] In an episode of the show broadcast on 18 October 2008, Brand and fellow Radio 2 DJ Jonathan Ross made a series of phone calls to actor Andrew Sachs that crudely discussed Sachs’ granddaughter. Sunday tabloid The Mail on Sunday broke the story and regarded the phone calls as obscene. Both presenters were later suspended by the BBC due to the incident,[50] and Brand resigned from his show.[51][52] The BBC was later fined £150,000 by Britain’s broadcast regulator for airing the calls.[53]
Brand returned to radio when he and Noel Gallagher hosted a football talk show on 19 April 2009 for talkSPORT which led to a 250% boost in web traffic.[54][55]
Brand returned to talkSPORT in 9 October 2010, with a Saturday night show that will last 20 weeks. The show will feature clips and back-stage recordings from his Booky Wook 2 promotional tour. Brand will be joined by a host of guests, including the likes of Noel Gallagher and Jonathan Ross.[56]

Writings

From May 2006 till May 2009, Brand wrote a column for The Guardian that focused on West Ham United and the England national football team. A collection of the columns from May 2006 through June 2007 was released on 15 November 2007 in a book titled Irons in the Fire.[57] A second collection of the columns from June 2007 through May 2008 was released on 16 October 2008, titled Articles of Faith. The book also includes Brand interviewing Noel Gallagher, James Corden and David Baddiel about football.[58]

After a string of high-profile relationships, Brand developed a
reputation in the media as a ladies’ man. His dating life won him The Sun‘s Shagger Of The Year award in 2006,[74] 2007,[75]
and 2008. The award has been renamed “The Russell Brand Shagger of the
Year Award” in honour of Brand having won three years in a row.[76]

Brand first met American singer/songwriter Katy Perry in summer 2009 when Perry filmed a cameo for Brand’s film Get Him to the Greek (although the cameo did not make it into the final cut of the film).[77] Brand and Perry began dating after meeting again several months later in September 2009[78] at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards,
where Brand, as host, remarked “Katy Perry didn’t win an award and
she’s staying at the same hotel as me, so she’s gonna need a shoulder to
cry on. So in a way, I’m the real winner tonight.” Perry says she threw
a bottle of water at Brand to get his attention and then they went
clubbing together the same night.[79] The couple became engaged in December 2009 when Brand proposed to Perry while on a holiday in India.[80][81][82] The couple married on 23 October 2010 in a traditional Hindu ceremony, near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India, the same location where Brand proposed.[83][84]
After 14 months of marriage, Brand filed for divorce from Perry on 30
December 2011 in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences.[85][86]
After Brand and Perry reached an agreement on financial issues, a judge
granted the divorce request in February 2012; however the divorce will
not become effective until July 2012 due to California law requiring a
six-month wait.[87]

Substance abuse and legal issues

Brand is a former heroin and sex addict and a recovering alcoholic. He has had numerous run-ins with the police, having been arrested 12 times.[89][90] During the time of his addiction, he was known for his debauchery. Brand was ejected from The Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh,[91] and he infamously introduced his drug dealer to Kylie Minogue during his time at MTV.[92] He has abstained from drug use since 2002 and is now a patron of the addiction charity Focus 12.[93] His abandonment of drugs and alcohol was instigated by his agent, John Noel, after Brand was caught taking heroin in a bathroom during his Christmas party.[94] Brand regularly attends AA and NA meetings[95] and cites his practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique as a significant factor in his recovery from drug addiction.[96]
On 16 September 2010, Brand was arrested on suspected battery charges after he allegedly attacked a paparazzo who blocked his and Perry’s way to catch a flight at the Los Angeles International Airport.[97][98] On 17 September 2010, he was released from custody after posting $20,000 bail. Footage of the incident was later sent to TMZ.[99] Perry later defended Brand’s actions, and offered an insight into the reasons for his outburst, posting on Twitter that, “If you cross the line & try and put a lens up my dress, my fiancé will do his job & protect me.”
Also according to Katy Perry’s Twitter timeline, Brand was deported from Japan on Sunday 22 May 2011. Perry’s tweet included the hashtag #tokyodreamscrushed[101] The story was later picked up by the media.[89]

In 1995, Consuelos met Kelly Ripa, his co-star on All My Children. The two eloped on May 1, 1996. The couple have three children: Michael Joseph Consuelos (born June 2, 1997), Lola Grace Consuelos (born June 16, 2001), and Joaquin Antonio Consuelos (born February 24, 2003).

In 1998 and 1999, Consuelos won the American Latino Media Arts Award for “Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Soap Opera”. Consuelos won “Hottest Romance” along with Ripa in 1997 at the Soap Opera Awards.[3]

Wyle, the middle of three children, was born in Hollywood, California, the son of Marjorie a registered orthopedic head nurse, and Stephen Wyle, an electrical engineer and entrepreneur.[1] His father was Jewish and his mother Episcopalian, and he was raised “fairly nondenominationally”.[2][3] Wyle’s parents divorced in the late 1970s and his mother later married James C. Katz, a film restorationist[4] with three children of his own from a previous marriage. Wyle’s paternal grandparents, Edith and Frank Wyle, founded the Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum. Edith Wyle was an expressionist painter who also created The Egg and The Eye, an innovative café and shop on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile district of Los Angeles, which soon became the preferred hangout for artists, travelers and dreamers.[5]

Education

Wyle was educated at The Thacher School in Ojai, California, and graduated with the class of 1989. Wyle participated in a theater arts program at Northwestern University after his junior year of high school and appeared in high school plays, even winning an award for a play he wrote. After graduation, he studied with acting teacher Larry Moss while living in a small apartment on Hollywood Boulevard.

Wyle’s big break came when he was given the pilot script for ER and was cast as medical student John Carter. Wyle was the only major cast member of ER to have been with the show since its inception (1994) when he left after its eleventh season (2005). His performances on the show earned him Emmy Award nominations in each of its first five seasons. As part of an ensemble he was nominated several times for the Screen Actors Guild Award, he was recognized with three Golden Globe nominations as Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television and won the 2001 TV Guide Award for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Wyle left the series at the end of the eleventh season, although he returned in guest appearances for a four-episode arc during the twelfth season. He stated that he left because he wanted to spend more time with his family and friends and to make room for the upcoming generation. However, in 2009, Wyle returned to ER during its 15th and final season for five episodes, including the series finale. According to the Guinness World Records 2005 Special 50th Anniversary Edition, Wyle became the holder of a “Highest paid TV drama actor per episode” record during the 2003/04 season, earning approximately $400,000 per episode. While on ER, Wyle’s estimated salary was $9 million a year. Wyle has also appeared in the most episodes of ER, 255, 4 more than Laura Innes.*[6]

Stage

Along with his film and television career, Wyle has also appeared on stage appearing in a 1995 Los Angeles stage production of The 24th Day with Peter Berg. With The Blank Theatre Company, he performed in The Who, and more recently in Lobster Alice, with Nicholas Brendon, where he played the surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. For his work as one of the producers of The Wild Party at the Blank Theare, he won an NAACP Theatre Award.[7] Wyle has also produced Missouri Waltz at the theatre.

Falling Skies

Wyle is the lead in TNT‘s new sci-fi series from Steven Spielberg titled Falling Skies. Wyle plays the leader of a group of soldiers and civilians that battle against an alien force, according to the network.[8]

Personal life

Wyle dated several women, including actressSamantha Mathis. While filming The Myth of Fingerprints in 1996, he met make-up artist Tracy Warbin. After proposing to her on Valentine’s Day in 1999, they married on May 6, 2000. Together, they have a son, Owen Strausser Speer Wyle (born November 9, 2002), and a daughter, Auden Wyle (born October 15, 2005). Warbin’s pregnancy with Auden was announced on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Wyle bought Bo Derek‘s ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, California, in June 1999, for approximately $2.5 million. They listed their Los Feliz (Los Angeles) home at close to $4.4 million. The traditional-style house was designed by architect Paul Williams, was built in 1934 and has a theater, a detached guest house-office and a landscaped yard with city views, a pool, a koi pond, a patio and a fire pit.

Wyle and Warbin, his wife of almost 10 years, separated in late October 2009, according to People magazine. The couple live in separate residences, and both see their two children daily.[9]

In 1999, Wyle made an appearance during the beginning of Steve Jobs‘ Macworld Expokeynote presentation, initially pretending to be Jobs. When the audience caught on, Jobs himself appeared and began to banter with Wyle.[10] It was a practical joke by Jobs and Wyle in light of the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley.
Wyle devotes much of his free time to the international non-profit organization Doctors of the World and to his work as a member of the Human Rights Watch Council. Wyle also serves as the voluntary artistic producer of the Blank Theatre Company in Hollywood, which stages annual young playwrights festival and whose alumni include Ed Asner, Sarah Michelle Gellar, D. B. Sweeney, James Kerwin, Amber Benson, Megan Henning, Travis Schuldt, Warren Davis, Grant Show, and Nicholas Brendon. He also recently acquired Second Stage Theater (Los Angeles) in Hollywood, where the company has mounted numerous successful productions.
Wyle was the spokesperson for The Cover the Uninsured campaign in 2004, which had as Honorary Co-Chairs former Presidents Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter. The Cover the Uninsured Week is annually held in the United States of America and focuses attention on the nearly 44 million Americans who go without health care coverage. The campaign includes several events among different communities, health and enrollment fairs, press conferences and business seminars all over the U.S. Additionally, Wyle is also a vegetarian and a supporter of animal rights, having started a farm intended as sanctuary for abused and rescued animals. Wyle has also become a spokesman for the World Wildlife Fund, dedicated to protecting and conserving wildlife for future generations.[11]
In 2009, Noah Wyle became a spokesperson for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), claiming that polar bears are “hanging on by a thread” and “may be extinct in our children’s lifetime, due to the effects of climate change.”[12]

Early life

Jonathan Rhys Meyers was born 27 July 1977 in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Mary Geraldine Myers and musician John O’Keeffe.[4][5] His stage name is derived from his mother’s maiden name, Meyers. He was raised Roman Catholic by his family.[6] Born in Dublin, he moved to Cork at one year old and was raised there with his three younger brothers named Jamie, Alan and Paul, who are all professional musicians.[7] When he was three, his parents separated.[citation needed] His mother raised Rhys Meyers and his brother Alan while his other two brothers went to live at their grandmother’s house with their father. Rhys Meyers attended North Monastery School.

In February 2008, he became a celebrity ambassador for the Cork-based charitable organization The Hope Foundation.[14]
On 5 October 2008, Rhys Meyers received an Honourary Patronage from the Trinity College Philosophical Society in Dublin, Ireland.

Personal life

In May 2005, Rhys Meyers checked into rehab facility Promises in California seeking treatment for alcohol abuse. On 24 April 2007, the Associated Press reported that Rhys Meyers returned to treatment. The actor’s representative Meredith O’Sullivan confirmed the news to People magazine citing his need to take a break from his busy schedule in order to maintain sobriety.[15][16]
On 27 February 2009, the actor checked into rehab a third time, seeking help for alcohol addiction. He checked out on 15 March 2009.[17]
In May 2010, it was reported that Rhys Meyers was banned for life from flying on United Airlines due to “belligerent” and “disruptive” behaviour in an incident involving alcohol[18][19] at John F. Kennedy airport.[20]
On the evening of Tuesday 28 June 2011, Rhys Meyers was rushed to hospital. The actor overdosed on pills while in his central London home, and refused treatment from paramedics. [21]

Who is George Lopez? The entertainment and acting world knows George Lopez as an American comedian, actor, and talk show host. He is mostly known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom George Lopez. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including the Mexican American culture. He was the host of the late-night talk show Lopez Tonight on TBS until its cancellation on August 10, 2011.[2]

Early life

Lopez, a Mexican-American, was born April 23, 1961 in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California. He was deserted by his father when he was 2 months old & by his mother when he was 10 years old,[3] but was raised by his maternal grandmother, Benita Gutierrez, a factory worker, and step-grandfather, Refugio Gutierrez, a construction worker.[4][5]

Career

Radio career

In 1999, Lopez hosted a major morning radio show for Clear Channel Communications in Los Angeles. He was the first Latino to have headlined the keystone morning radio slot on an English-language station in LA — the nation’s top radio market.

Television career

In 2000, after several years of performing stand-up comedy, Lopez was approached by actress Sandra Bullock for Lopez to produce and star in a comedy. Bullock was concerned about the lack of Hispanic-oriented sitcoms on American television and pushed to get a sitcom on television that starred Hispanics without being exclusively about the Hispanic American community. Long criticized by Hispanic American groups for lack of Latinos on their television shows, ABC quickly picked up the television series. In 2002, Lopez became one of the few Latinos to star in a television comedy series, following in the footsteps of Freddie Prinze, Desi Arnaz and John Leguizamo. George Lopez is an American situation comedy that originally aired on ABC from 2002–2007. Lopez is the co-creator, writer, producer, and star of the show.
On March 8, 2007, it was announced that George Lopez would join the Nick at Nite lineup. It first aired on Nick at Nite on September 10, 2007. On May 15, 2007, ABC announced that the series would be canceled after its sixth season. The show last aired on ABC September 7, 2007. The show also entered syndication in the fall of 2007. Never a huge Nielsen hit in primetime, the show became a surprise success in syndication.Lopez was a cast member and commentator for HBO’s hit sports show Inside the NFL for the 2003–2004 football season.
Lopez guest starred as the mayor of Reno, Nevada in the fifth season of Reno 911! in 2008.
On March 28, 2009, it was announced that Lopez would be getting his own late night talk show on TBS.[6] Lopez hosted a late-night talk show entitled Lopez Tonight on TBS Monday through Thursday at midnight Eastern Time. The show debuted in November 2009. In November 2010, the show moved back to midnight ET to accommodate a new show with former Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien. Lopez supported and even advocated for the move, making it different from the 2010 Tonight Show conflict that saw O’Brien depart NBC after a proposal to push Tonight back 30 minutes for Jay Leno to return to the 11:35 p.m. slot.[7] On August 10, 2011 Lopez received a cancellation notice from TBS. The network decided not to renew Lopez Tonight for a third season. [8]

Books

Lopez wrote an autobiography entitled Why You Crying, which was released on the Touchstone/Fireside division of Simon & Schuster and entered in the New York Times Bestsellers top twenty. The book is co-written by Emmy Award winning writer and sportscaster Armen Keteyian.

Politics

On December 21, 2010, Lopez announced on Good Day L.A. that he would run for Mayor of Los Angeles in about 8 years.[9]
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Lopez stated that if Sarah Palin ever becomes the President of the United States, he would emigrate to Canada.[10]

Personal life

Ann Serrano

In 1993, Lopez married Ann Serrano. The couple have a daughter, Mayan Lopez. On September 27, 2010, Lopez announced that he and his wife had decided to end their marriage.[11] Serrano filed for divorce on November 23, 2010, citing “irreconcilable differences”.[12] The divorce was finalized on July 1, 2011.[13]
In 2009 a DNA test read by Mariah Carey on Lopez Tonight revealed Lopez to be of 55% European, 32% Native American, 9% East Asian, and 4% African descent.[14]

Health problems

Lopez has a genetic condition that caused his kidneys to deteriorate. His doctors had told him in April 2004 that he was going to require an organ transplant but he postponed the operation until after finishing the fourth season of George Lopez so as not to hurt the 170 people who worked on his show. In 2005, his wife, Ann, donated one of her kidneys to Lopez. The transplant was successful; Lopez lost 45 lbs. after the operation due in part to having his health so vastly improved. He brought awareness to the issue on his show; his character’s son, Max, was diagnosed with a similar illness.

Charity work and honors

Lopez was a featured celebrity golfer in the 2004 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and the 2004 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Lopez and his pro partner finished third in the Pebble Beach event. George was the top ranking celebrity at completion of the golf tournament. Since 2006, Lopez has served as the host of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. He is a member at Lakeside Country Club in Burbank, California and has a 13 handicap.
A native of Los Angeles who grew up in San Fernando Valley’s Mission Hills, Lopez devotes much time to the community. He has his own charity: The Ann & George Lopez Foundation (www.thelopezfoundation.org). He has received the Manny MotaFoundation Community Spirit Award and was named Honorary Mayor of Los Angeles for his extensive fund-raising efforts benefiting earthquake victims in El Salvador and Guatemala. In February 2004, George was presented the 2004 Artist of the Year and Humanitarian Award by Harvard University, presented by its president and dean for his artistic work and charitable endeavors.[15]
Lopez has received several honors for his work and contributions to the Latino community. In September 2004, George was honored with the “Spirit of Liberty Award” presented by People for the American Way. In August 2005, Time magazine recognized George as one of “The 25 Most Influential Hispanics In America”.[16]

Feuds

Jay Leno

Lopez criticized Jay Leno, someone he once considered a “close friend”, during an interview on radio station WOMX-FM in Orlando, Florida, on January 24, 2007, stating: “He’s the biggest two-faced dude in TV.” He also called him a back-stabber, and said he is not a proficient interviewer.[17][18]

Carlos Mencia

Lopez is also known for his conflict with Carlos Mencía. In an interview on The Howard Stern Show, Lopez accused Mencía of appropriating 13 minutes of his material in Mencía’s HBO special. He also claimed he had a physical altercation with Mencía over the alleged appropriation.[19][20]

Erik Estrada

Lopez frequently mentions his dislike for Erik Estrada. According to Lopez, he met Estrada when he was a teenager and Estrada was in the zenith of his career. Estrada refused to shake the teenager’s hand, and Lopez has disliked him ever since. Lopez mentioned the story while guest-hosting The Jim Rome Show, and saying “Fuck that puto.” In his comedy special America’s Mexican, Lopez uses this as a warning to everyone that celebrities should always be nice to their fans because they do not know who the fans will grow up to be.

ABC Entertainment

After receiving the news that his show was cancelled in 2007, Lopez criticized Steve McPherson, the president of ABC Entertainment, for using racially motivated reasons for his decision. The actor told the Los Angeles Times that “TV just became really, really white again,” and lashed out against ABC by saying “So a Chicano can’t be on TV, but a caveman can?” in reference to Cavemen, which was replacing George Lopez in the schedule. Cavemen got a horrible reception from critics and viewers and was cancelled after just 13 episodes.[21] Lopez blamed ABC for causing over a hundred of his show’s staff to become jobless.[22][23][24]

Kirstie Alley

On March 24, 2011 George Lopez called Kirstie Alley a “pig” during her stint on Dancing with the Stars.[25] Kirstie posted on Twitter, “Don’t worry about George’s comments…just remember what happens to the big bad, drunk woolf…falls in a boiling pot of vodka.Piggy laughs” as a response to the comment. George later apologized on Twitter by saying, “I misjudged the joke. No malice was intended and I apologize to Kirstie.” After the apology, Kirstie fired back on Twitter, “@georgelopez I don’t need or want ur apology…I want your kidney dude..on behalf of ur X and all the women uv insulted…give it back”.[26]

119 episodesImagen Award for Best Actor – Television (won 2004; nominated 2005, 2006, 2007)
Nominated—ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Series
Nominated—BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Nominated—Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (nominated 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Breakout Star – Male
Nominated—Young Artist Award for Most Popular Mom & Pop in a Television Series (shared with Constance Marie)